188 of the
8,589 complaints filed about the Hyundai Tucson
are about the airbag system —
2% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2006.
My client lost her right eye and suffered a brain injury when an aftermarket rhinestone emblem decal from her steering wheel shot into her face during a low-impact crash with a deer. The crash left minimal damage to the front end of the vehicle, but caused the airbags to deploy, shooting the decal into my client’s head. She purchased this dangerous decoration on Amazon, and despite NHTSA notices in 2023 and 2024 telling consumers to “avoid purchasing these steering wheel decals for all vehicle makes and models” and to “remove any such decals that they have already applied to their steering wheels,” this warning was not passed on to my client, even though records are kept of individual customer purchases, and these warnings could have been easily shared. A recent check of Amazon’s Safety Recalls and Alerts webpage did not turn up the 2024 NHTSA notice. I am sure there are other Amazon customers out there, who, like my client, have no idea just how dangerous these things are.
NHTSA complaint #11754571 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Was in a side impact car accident last year. And have been speaking with Hyundai off and on since the accident and have basically been brushed off in my concerns about the fact my airbags never deployed when my rear passenger door was essentially ripped off during the car accident. Progressive moved quickly with my claim and Hyundai pretty much told me not their problem since progressive moved the vehicle so fast and they said they can’t locate it even though I gave them exactly who to get in contact with and they never bothered and basically told me my issue was unfounded due to the fact they couldn’t locate said vehicle
NHTSA complaint #11749066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact leased a 2025 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, another driver cut her off while in an intersection which activated the emergency brake system. As a result, the contact was hit from behind by another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy and the seat belt failed to secure the contact and thrusted her forward. The contact did not seek medical attention but days after the accident, the right side of her neck, right lower shoulder blade, right inner thigh, right side of her chest, left side sciatica, lower right abdomen, and lower back. The authorities arrived at the scene and a police report was filed. Despite the failure and the damage to the vehicle, the contact managed to drive the vehicle home. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,900.
NHTSA complaint #11735457 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
my air bag light came on and I took it to a dealer and they said they repaired it by replacing a seat belt , a couple months later my car was in a hit and run and my front end was badly damaged and my air bags never deployed. they fixed my car and I got it back with the air bags light on again, took it back to the same dealer, they had the car and say they can't fix it, they said they looked around the country and can't find any replacement parts, they say there is no way to repair my car. My car is unsafe to drive and they say it can't be fixed and I did everything I was supposed to do with the car, took got care of it and its got low mileage for the year and now i'm being told it's out of warranty and it's my problem not the dealers or hyundia's. i'm now on SSd and can't afford a $300-500 a month payment and requested a buy back do to faulty equipment and repair and now a year later i'm still waiting to get a yes or no, my car is not safe and i'm out of luck with my car, the repair didn't work when needed, someone should be responsable for repair or equipment liability to help me find something safe to drive not all on me.
NHTSA complaint #11726389 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On March 13, 2026, I was operating my 2015 Hyundai Tucson when the steering locked up, causing me to crash into a tree head-on. In the course of this head-on crash, my airbags failed to deploy. As a direct result of my airbags not deploying in a serious car crash, my head hit the steering wheel, causing a confirmed concussion diagnosis of Post Traumatic Headache and Post Concussion Syndrome in a hospital emergency room. There were no lights or symbols on the dashboard prior to the accident. My car had a prior repair for a front end collision in a body shop and a replacement of the engine in a Hyundai dealership prior to the accident. My car is currently in a tow yard. There has been no inspection of my car by the manufacturer. I have since discovered that there are a number of complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA") from other Hyundai Tucson owners for the model years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2019, and 2023 complaining of the same defect in their Hyundai Tucsons – the failure of the airbags to deploy in serious car accidents. I believe this represents a systemic safety defect in the Hyundai Tucson airbag system that has not been addressed for the 2015 model year. This failure put my safety at serious risk and resulted in significant injuries that could have been prevented had the airbag system functioned as designed.
NHTSA complaint #11725846 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
my air bag light is on again , my front end was hit bad and they air bags didn't deploy and after the car was fixed the light is always on again, Hyundia can't fix it or find parts to replace it
NHTSA complaint #11718340 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact rented a 2025 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that the vehicle would stop and would restart independently while driving. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the vehicle failed to respond on several occasions while the gear shifter was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure occurred while there was a vehicle parked behind the vehicle or further away. There was no warning light illuminated. The rental company was informed of the failure. Additionally, the contact stated that upon shifting to reverse on one occasion, the vehicle responded, but unintendedly accelerated. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was stiff and failed to respond, causing the vehicle to crash into an unoccupied parked vehicle. The contact stated that the distance between the two vehicles could fit two parked vehicles. The contact stated that her teenager was occupying the front passenger's side seat during the incident. The contact stated that the front passenger's side and driver's side seat belts failed to restrain the passengers as needed, causing both passengers to use their arms to protect themselves. The police officers arrived at the scene but did not file a report. Both passengers sustained arm, neck, and head pain but declined to be transported to the hospital by ambulance. The contact stated that the gear shifter was locked after the crash and required two hands to move to park(P). The rental company was informed of the failure. The contact was able to drive the vehicle back to the residence. The vehicle was driven to the Rental Company the following day. No further information was available. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,292.
NHTSA complaint #11714439 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Horn inoperative. Vehicle sets diagnostic trouble code C2A23 indicating horn switch / clock spring failure. Multiple owners report similar failures. Horn is a safety device and failure may prevent warning other drivers. This include the airbag that might be affected since the clock spring is having an issue.
NHTSA complaint #11712805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2022 Hyundai Tucson. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at 25-30 MPH, another vehicle struck the front driver side, flinging the vehicle to the right side before another vehicle crashed into the front passenger side. The air bags failed to deploy. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's husband sustained back injuries, while the contact suffered a concussion. Medical attention was received for both. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
NHTSA complaint #11711465 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
As I was pulling into a parking space in a parking garage, the vehicle's engine revved, tires squealed and then the vehicle propelled forward on its own, without my foot being on the accelerator. The vehicle only stopped when it hit a support column and the wall of the parking structure. There was extensive damage to my vehicle and to the parking structure wall. My safety and the safety of others was put at risk due to the car accelerating on its own. The problem has not been confirmed or reproduced by the dealer, but we did take the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and they said they could not find anything wrong with the vehicle that would have caused the unintended acceleration. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer, the insurance company and an investigator for Hyundai. Hyundai infomed us that they are not taking any responsibility for anything that occurred and that they will not share their investigator's report with us. There were no warming lamps or messages related to the problem prior to the failure. However, there have been other occasions while driving on the open road when the engine has revved on its own and I told Hyundai about that. In doing our own research, we have found that there are other 2023 Hyundai Tucson drivers who have had this exact same problem (unintended acceleration causing a crash) while pulling into parking spaces. Additionally, the air bags did not deploy during the collision and therefore the incident was not recorded by the EDR.
NHTSA complaint #11711003 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Airbag indicator came on around 62000 miles. Was told by Hyundai technician that it cost $2100 plus to replace part. Hyundai has known problems with airbags. Did this extend to my model? Have others had similar problems?
NHTSA complaint #11708725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On October 13th 2025, we were involved in a serious collision while driving our 2018 Hyundai Tucson. The vehicle was struck from behind and spun into a semi-truck, totalling the vehicle. Despite the forward and lateral collision to the semi-truck, no airbags deployed at all during the accident. This resulted in the Tucson driver striking his head on the steering wheel. Our 5-month old son was also on-board the vehicle in his car seat. While everyone walked away from the accident, both adults passengers had whiplash/minor neck injuries that could have been mitigated by airbags deploying. We have serious safety concerns about Hyundai's airbags because of this incident.
NHTSA complaint #11694065 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Airbag located in the steering wheel partially deployed during a moderate/serious accident. It came out of the front of the steering wheel but never inflated. I have pictures available of the partially deployed airbag. No other airbags were deployed during this front end crash. The seatbelt tensioner did activate and prevented serious injury during the crash. There was no indication, via warning lights or any other messages, that the system was not working properly. All outstanding recalls for the vehicle had been addressed. It is unknown if the partial deployment was indicated in the police report. No other inspections of the system have been done. Insurance adjuster from at-fault party will be performing an assessment of damage this week. Thankfully the most serious injury is from the seat belt and this partial deployment of the airbag did not cause a more serious injury.
NHTSA complaint #11686195 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
During a recent accident, the driver pressed the brakes but they did not respond, almost as if they locked up. Police at the scene noted there were no skid marks on the road, suggesting the brakes never engaged. The vehicle suffered major side impact damage, including broken windows and crushed passenger-side doors, but none of the airbags deployed. This raises serious concerns about a possible brake system failure and airbag non-deployment defect. The vehicle has not yet been repaired and is available for inspection. Police have reviewed the accident, and the insurance company has also seen the vehicle, but no mechanical inspection has been completed by the manufacturer. There were no warning lights or error messages prior to the failure. The safety of the driver and passengers was put at risk because the car could not be stopped and the airbags did not deploy to provide protection.
NHTSA complaint #11683258 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On [XXX], the vehicle was involved in a complex multi-impact accident. It was struck by a vehicle on the passenger (right) side and, simultaneously, by another vehicle on the driver's (left) side. (Police Report). During this sequence of collisions, and despite the magnitude of the impact, I must express my extreme concern that the left side airbag (driver's side) did not deploy. This failure caused Mr. [XXX] , the undersigned, to suffer a neck injury as a direct consequence of the incident. Even more seriously, the right-side passenger, Ms. [XXX] , sufferedsevere internal injuries, including three small intestine perforations, according to medical reports. These injuries resulted from improper pressure or malfunction of the seatbelt for that seat. These combined failures, the non-deployment of an essential airbag in impact, and the serious internal injuries caused by the seatbelt represent unacceptable deficiencies in the vehicle's safety systems. We believe that these injuries could have been avoided or mitigated if the safety components had functioned properly, as expected in an accident situation of this magnitude. Therefore, I am at a loss to understand: 1. Why the left side airbag did not deploy during the impact. 2. Why the right passenger seatbelt caused such serious internal injuries, including the three diagnosed intestinal perforations. We also require that concrete and immediate action be taken to address and compensate for the serious injuries suffered by the vehicle's occupants, as this has caused psychological and work- related harm. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11675342 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The controls (buttons) on the right side of my steering wheel progressed from slow to respond to completely unresponsive, and then the driver airbag light started coming on. At first it was intermittent, then constant. I didn't expect those two issues to be related but did come to learn it was the clock switch. According to my Hyundai dealer, this is a known issue in several other years/models of Hyundais and they have extended those warranties, "but it hasn't reached the Tucson yet". I was told that either 1 - my airbag wouldn't deploy or 2 - it would deploy randomly when I was driving the vehicle. I spent nearly $1000 in diagnostics and repairs.
NHTSA complaint #11675080 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.